Composition of matter.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NELSON B. MAYER, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN RUBBER FILLING COMPANY, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y.

COMPOSITION OF MATTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 676,095, dated June 11, 1901. Application filed July 11, 1900. Serial No. 23,180. (No specimens.)

ro terial as to be compressible and elastic, so

that they will in use yield more or less readily under pressure, and quickly re-assume their normal set upon the removal of the pressure. Types of articles of this character are vehicle tires, bicycle saddles, horse collars, and

.pads of various kinds, all of which articles, with others not herein mentioned, I designate under the generic title of elastic cushions.

Hitherto in the manufacture of such elastic 2o cushions, resort has been had to the expedient of forming them as hollow shells of rubberor kindred material, frequently molded or otherwise fashioned of the desired configuration, and forcing into their interiors air under pres- 2 5 sure.

This expedient has been found unsatisfactory, by reason of the gradual escape of the air in the use of the articles and the consequent necessity for re-charging them from time to time, and by reason of the liability of the articles to become deflated through accidental punctures.

Elastic cushions have, formed of solid rubber, but this expedient is,

5 apart from the fundamental objection of its relatively great expense, open to the further objections that for many uses articles so formed are not sufficiently compressible or yielding,and for man ypurposes are too heavy.

It is the object of my invention to provide a normally solid but meltable, light and elastic, composition of matter adapted to be employed in masses as cores, so to speak, within suitable exterior shells or casings, to form, 5 with such shells or casings, elastic cushions which are more compressible and light and much less expensive than corresponding articles formed of solid rubber, on the one hand, and which do not require the attention, and are not subject to the liability of being renmoreover, been dered temporarily useless by puncture, incident to the employment of the air filled or socalled pneumatic articles, on the other hand.

In forming my new improved composition of matter I prefer to proceed as follows:-

Thirty parts by weight of ground glue, and ten parts by weight of water at ordinary or-atmospheric temperature, are placed together in a suitable vessel, and there kept for from siX to twelve hours, being preferably stirred continuously during such period.

Glue as a commercial article varies somewhat in strength. In the practice of my invention I have secured good results by making up the required thirty parts by weight in part of glue of about average strength or concentration and the remainder of glue of a considerably higher degree of concentration.

The glue and water are thereupon heated, the temperature to which the mass is brought being preferably within the extremes of one hundred and fifty degrees Fahrenheit and two hundred and twenty-five degrees Fahrenheit,-and combined with fifty parts by weight of glycerin.

Preferably the glycerin is added to the glue and water immediately after the latter have been heated as described, although with my present knowledge of the subject I would not regard this as essential, as good results might be obtained were the glycerin added to the glue while all the materials are in a cold condition, and all be thereupon heated together.

The heat is maintained and the combined mass agitated or stirred until a completely homogeneous mixture is formed, in which the particles of glue are in solution in the glycerin. Ordinarily this result will have been brought about when the heating and stirring have continued for two hours.

I add to the mass preferably during this period of heating and agitation, ten parts by weight of dextrine, which becomes, of course, solved in the fluid mass.

In the foregoing process of manufacture of 5 my composition of matter, I find it convenient to' place the glue and water together in a vat or tank provided with mechanical stirrers, and when the mass is in readiness to be heated and combined with the glycerin I find it convenient to draw itoff from said tank or vessel, to a: steam jacketed kettle with: me-

chanical stirrers.

The water is added to the glue, more especially to render the glue readily soluble in the glycerin as the glycerin vhas great aflinity for the water;

The composition of matter, formed as described or otherwise, may be drawn ofi and charged as a fluid directly to thecushionstoform the cores backings or fillings of which it is to be employed, or, if not required for immediate use, run into. asuitable receptacle and allowed to set. I

In the subsequent use'of thisset material it may be remelted by bringing it to a suit-' able; temperatureof from one hundredand fifty degreesgtoatwo hu ndrediandttwentyrfive degrees;- Eah renheit.

The fact thatithetoompositionziszalsolidicapableiof, melting; (although notat atmospheric:- te mperatu res);constitu tes-a .-featu re of great: utility in .tliei-em-ploymenttof; my invention,, inasmuch assaf-ter' the formation-bf." the shaped jliollow' shell of thetcushion thercomr positionrof matterrin aemelted" conditiomin: troduced withinrth'e same,- of itself-ifills: every partthereof as;azmold'and conformsthereto, so that, whenitsets within said shell, ,it-lfonms,

with; said shell at solidart-icleof. uniform compressibility and) elasticity.-

, The; article. SOrfOIIIlGd-bBCOHIBS; ine'fiect: a i solidi, cushion the protecting exterior. ffiGGgOfi Whichtmay or may; not-ibe inherently elastic, andthe-coreiof;which fillingi everyportion-of the:roriginallhollow interior,- possesses ascome pressibility,elasticity, andmesilience, almostequalitofthatof'compressedair, b.ut.which;be;

ingaaasolidginstead .offa-=fiuid; obviates-the dis-e adyantagesiincidentbto the-use of suchaain- Inrunnin g the composition of matterwith;-

imthe ,interionofithe cushion ,the composition f may, if found desirable, be, subjficted to i slighttcompression withinssuchdnterior. Iim-ay; in somecasesrshape manually from J ffof the fact that after use for a short period ithey become flattened, and, as it were, inert, -:lacking the life or resilience necessary to @a practical spring:tire.

, The substantial?proportions;of ingredients by weight-i of' ground glue; fifty par-ts; by weight of. glycerin, and tenparts weight iof dextrine, are highlyimpor-tant, as the=use-' ,fulness of my improved composition of mat; iter, and its possession: in the 1 highesti degree jof the qualifications vital in.= a=- filling; em ployed for: the purposes' hereinbeforeiindicated, depend not; only upon: thevuse -offi the :jingredientsspecified, butiupon; thesubst-am jtial' proportions ofthe same set forth;

I Having thus; described my invention; I {claimgcores-or pack-ingsof elastic. cushions, ,consist- ,ing: ofthirty parts by weight of" glue, fifty lparts-by weight of gl yeerin, andrtenpar-ts b y weight of dextrine, the glue and ldextrine bein gqdiSSOlVBdfiHthB-gl ycerin substantially as .set; forth.

In: testimony that I claims the foregoingqas ;my invention I have hereunto signed: my ;name this 27th day of June, A. D. 1900. NELSONv B; MAYER;

Inpresence of.-

E. NORMAN; DIXON,

THos.:K. LANCASTER.

extends, have, been unsuccessful, by reasonhereinbeforesp ecified namely, thirty parts A comp ositioutof matter for fonming; the 

